Kingdom Hearts IV
by ElegantButler
Summary: The grandchildren of Sora, Riku, Axel, and Demyx take up a new adventure against Heartless and Nobodies both old and new.
1. Chapter 1

**Kingdom Hearts IV**

By Axel Ingleson and Bounty Hunter Darcy

-Chapter 1: Twilight Town-

"Late again, Riku," Sora chided his best friend as the one-time Keyblade master hobbled into the Peridot Ice Cream Shop leaning on a black and silver cane.

Watching the frailty of Riku's steps, Sora felt a twinge of guilt. Riku had not been able to fight or even walk properly since Sora's keyblade, Fenrir, hamstringed him during the fight that ensued following the death of Sora's daughter Arisu's heartless form. That death had been at Riku's hands and it had taken Sora ten years to forgive the older Keyblade master.

"Well, it's not exactly easy for me to get into the boat with my leg being the way it is, you know," Riku replied.

"Then why did you decide to live on the Island instead of the mainland?" Sora wondered aloud.

"I like our island," Riku admitted. "We had a lot of good memories there."

"We sure did," Sora agreed.

"Grandpa!"

Riku and Sora turned to see two boys running up to him. One had blond hair, the other blue. Both had blue eyes that were reminiscent of both Sora's and his daughter's.

"Why aren't you in school?" Sora asked. "I dropped you off there ten minutes ago."

"Sorry, grandpa, but something weird is happening there," Hitoshi told Sora. He looked at Riku, "Michi is still there. Some weird thing that looked like sword with wings appeared in his hands and he started attacking whatever it is."

"Way to Dawn," Riku muttered. "So, my grandson is a Keyblade master." He looked up at Sora. "Well? Shall we?"

"You can hardly walk with that leg of yours," Sora pointed out. "I'm afraid this adventure is for a younger generation." He turned to face Hitoshi. "If you are willing and brave enough to face your enemy, a Keyblade will appear in your hands just as one did in Michi's hands."

"Are you sure, grandpa?" Hitoshi asked.

"It's in your blood," Sora told him. "Go now. Take up your keyblades if you have the courage. This world needs your help as will others. I suggest you search for a man named Yen Sid. He is a great wizard and he will be able to give you other items that will aid you in your quest to stop the Heartless and the Nobodies."

Sora and Riku watched as Hitoshi and Hiroshi ran off to face their newfound foe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Kingdom Hearts IV**

By Axel Ingleson and Bounty Hunter Darcy

-Chapter 2: Twilight Town Part II-

Hiroshi and Hitoshi rushed toward the large monster as Michi's Keyblade struck its long scaly tail. Each of them thought the same thing. Their parents would surely be proud of them.

This was true enough. Arisu, though she had died as a Heartless, had loved her sons for the short time that she had been with them. And her husband, Isamu, had been a loving and devoted father until his death five years later in a car crash that had left the other drive in a coma for nearly a year.

Since then, they had been raised by their grandfather, Sora. Sora had lost his wife, Haru, in childbirth and having their grandchildren living with him made him feel better.

But there was no time to think about parents or grandparents now. Now they had an enemy to fight. One which it seemed had come from another world.

Hitoshi wondered, as he struck home with his Keyblade, wounding the creature enough to cause it to stumble, if it had come from one of the worlds that his father and Riku had visited during their adventures so many years ago.

Hiroshi wondered the same thing. He wondered if Riku might have had some idea as to how to defeat the Heartless before them.

Sora and Riku arrived shortly afterward. Though they could no longer fight, that didn't stop them from offering the young warriors a bit of helpful advice.

"Try a Trinity Attack," Sora offered.

The trio knew about Trinity Attacks. Sora had spoken about them from time to time in his stories about his time as a Keyblade Master.

The three of them touched Keyblades, the powers from the three blades combining into a single beam of energy which they guided through the Heartless, obliterating it.

As it vanished, it enveloped them in a whirlpool of darkness, pulling them from their home and depositing them on an unfamiliar sidewalk.

"Where are we?" Michi wondered.

"I know!" Hiroshi exclaimed. "Grandpa talks about it all the time! This is Twilight Town!"

"Are you sure it's Twilight Town and not that Traverse Town he mentioned?" Hitoshi asked. "The two sound like they're pretty similar."

"I know. But Traverse Town didn't have a Struggle contest." Hiroshi pointed at one of the posters that had been put up on the wall behind them.

"You entering?"

The three turned and saw a young girl about their age standing there. Her flame red hair, naturally spiky, was pulled up into a pair of spiky ponytails just above her ears.

"I'm Hiko," she introduced herself. "My brother Arashi's signed up. He's really good. Come on, if you're going to."

They followed Hiko to the lot where the Struggle platform was located.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" the referee announced. "It is time once again for the Struggle! For our first contest, we have a young man with what has been described as a rather fiery disposition. The incredible Arashi!"

Arashi was taller than his sister. His eyes could be described a peridot and seemed to shine with an inner flame. His hair was also naturally spiked and just as red as his sister's.

It was a description that Hitoshi recognized at once.

"Axel!"

"His name's Arashi," Hiko reminded them. "Axel was our grandfather. He died a long time ago."

"He saved our grandfather," Hiroshi told her.

"You're Sora's grandchildren?" Hiko asked.

Hiroshi nodded.

"How did you get here?"

"We were fighting this monster of some kind when a whirlpool appeared, sucked us in, and dumped us here." Hitoshi replied.

"And Sora?" Hiko asked.

"He's still alive," Hiroshi told her. "He and Riku run an ice cream shop now. Riku's not the same as he once was. He can't fight anymore."

"That's too bad," Hiko told him. "He's legendary. One of the greatest warriors who ever lived."

"Indeed he was," Michi finally spoke up.

"You must be his grandchild," Hiko guessed.

"Got it in one," Michi smiled. "Name's Michi. These two are Hitoshi and Hiroshi."

"I'm happy to meet the three of you," Hiko said, turning her attention to the Struggle contest just as her brother won the contest by only four spheres.

"And Arashi defeats Hajime by a narrow margin of only for spheres!" The referee announced. "What a contest! These two opponents have, once again, given us a remarkable show!"

Arashi climbed down from the Struggle platform and joined his sister.

"Who are these guys?" he asked her.

"These are Sora's and Riku's grandchildren," Hiko told him. "These are Sora's grandsons, Hiroshi and Hitoshi, and this is Riku's grandson, Michi."

"Nice to meetcha," Arashi smiled. "Of course," he added, brushing a nonexistent piece of lint from his shirt, "if my grandfather hadn't saved your grandfather's butt, neither of you two would be here."

"Proud of him, aren't you?" Michi asked.

"I have every reason to be," Arashi replied.

The group was about to adjourn to another location when they heard a loud roar from the Struggle platform.

Turning to look, they found themselves facing the oddest creature they had ever seen. It seemed to made up of Struggle spheres clustered together. The spheres rolled around each other as the creature moved .

Arashi and Hiko drew a pair of flaming circular weapons which the others recognized as chakrams. Together they launched an attack against the new creature as Hitoshi, Hiroshi, and Michi joined in.

They dove at the creature and barely registered it's demise before they were swallowed up by a dark whirlpool and tumbled out of the other side onto an old man with a conical hat.

"Oof!" the old man grunted.

"Sorry," Michi apologized for the group.

"No problem," said the elderly gent. "Name's Merlin."

"I'm Michi," Michi told him. "These are my friends, Hitoshi and Hiroshi. And that's Arashi and Hiko. We just met them."

"Pleased to meet you," Merlin told them. "You put me in mind of another young man I knew long ago. Named Sora."

"Oh, he's our grandfather," Hitoshi told him.

"And Riku is mine," Michi added.

"So, they did find each other," Merlin smiled. "I'd wondered about that. But come. You and your friends look hungry. I'll fix you a bit of food, and you can tell me how your grandfathers are doing."

"I can't," Hiko grumbled. "My grandfather is dead."

"I'm very sorry about that," Merlin said, clearly meaning it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Kingdom Hearts IV**

By Axel Ingleson and Bounty Hunter Darcy

-Chapter 3: Radiant Garden-

The group walked into Merlin's house. The room was small and seemed barely able to accommodate their small number. Hitoshi wondered how Merlin had managed to squeeze in what had back then been known as the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. If it could be called a committee. They seemed to have managed to get a lot done for a committee.

"Before you make the classic blunder everyone seems to make," said a voice from the corner, "let me just make it clear that I am a girl."

As she stepped forward, it became clear why she felt it necessary to say this. Her hips were so slender they seemed boyish as did her small chest and mulhawk hairstyle.

"I'm Arashi," Arashi told her. "Axel's grandson. And this is my sister…"

"Hiko," Hiko introduced herself.

"Hitoshi and Hiroshi," the twins bowed.

"If you say you're Sora's grandchildren I'll…"

"Easy now, Mizu," Merlin soothed. "You know it's not their fault."

"I know," Mizu grumbled. "But that doesn't mean I have to like them."

"I think it would be nice it you gave them a chance," Merlin suggested.

"Very well," Mizu decided.

"Why do you dislike us?" Hitoshi asked.

"Your grandfather murdered mine," Mizu pointed out.

"Our grandpa is not a murderer!" Hiroshi challenged.

"Ask him about Demyx next time you see him," Mizu demanded.

"Demyx was a Nobody," Hitoshi pointed out. "He had no heart and he was very dangerous. Grandpa Sora had no choice."

"Liar!" Mizu glared. "My grandfather did have a heart! He wasn't like the others. But stupid Sora never even considered that! He just treated them as if they were all alike! He murdered my grandfather, and that's final!"

"Mizu," Merlin warned.

"I'm sorry about your grandfather," Hiroshi apologized. "But it wasn't Sora's fault. If anyone is to blame, it's Ansem. He was so bent on revenge, according to grandpa Sora, that he lied to him. He said that all members of Organization XIII were the same. But Sora learned differently when Axel saved his life."

"And by then it was too late," Mizu guessed.

"If he'd met your grandfather after he'd been saved by Axel, I'm sure your grandfather might still exist today. Assuming he didn't die of old age."

Mizu nodded in acceptance. "I'm sorry I was so nasty to you. I just never got to know my grandfather. It makes me angry."

"It's all right," Hitoshi told her. "I'd be angry too if I'd never got to meet grandpa Sora."


	4. Chapter 4

**Kingdom Hearts IV**

By Axel Ingleson and Bounty Hunter Darcy

-Chapter 4: Radiant Garden Pt. II-

After an uneventful lunch at Merlin's, Mizu decided to show the newcomers around the town. She led them up onto the Bailey where they spotted the blue and white skateboard by the wall.

"Awesome!" Hiko cried out, running for the skateboard.

In a flash, she was off. The others watched as she almost flew around the ground and grinded the Bailey wall. When she neared the group, Arashi called out to her.

"Come on, my turn!"

She pulled a face at him as she passed but he was faster than a forest fire. He grabbed her around the middle, pulled her off the skateboard, then jumped on himself and took off. Hiko crossed her arms and pouted.

"Arashi! You're so dead when I catch you!" she shouted.

"_If_ you can catch me!" he shouted back.

She growled and summoned her chakram. When Arashi passed her, she threw it at him. Arashi spotted it and jumped over it then back onto the skateboard.

"Ha! Ya missed!" he taunted.

He turned to face forward then crashed into the wall. Hiko laughed out loud and said,

"I may have missed, but the wall sure didn't!"

Arashi stood up and staggered. He glared at Hiko who was still laughing and walked over to her. He poked her forehead with his index and middle finger, effectively shutting her up and knocking her onto her backside.

Mizu watched, slightly jealous, at their sibling rivalry. Having no siblings herself, she was a little jealous. She was snapped out of this reverie by the sound of her mother's voice.

"Mizu! It's time for dinner!"

"Coming, Mom!"

Mizu looked around at the small group and said,

"Come on. I'll ask my mom if you can stay for dinner."

At the mention of food, Hitoshi's head snapped up, almost giving him whiplash.

"Food?"

Hiroshi simply shrugged. He was far too used to his brother's antics to care anymore.

"Well, come on if you're coming," Mizu called to them as she joined her mother.

"Who are your friends?" her mother asked.

"This is Hiroshi and Hitoshi," Mizu introduced Sora's grandsons, "And this," she added, indicating Axel's grandchildren, "Is Hiko and Arashi." She turned to Michi, "And this is Michi," she concluded the introductions.

"Well, I'm glad to meet my little girl's friends," the woman said. "My name is Mizuko."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Michi bowed politely.

"What nice manners you have, young man," Mizuko admired. "You should teach them to your friends."

"Oh, mother," Mizu sighed, "They're just kids. Give 'em a break, 'kay?"

Mizuko smiled. "Well, come on, then," she said. "I'm sure you're all hungry."

They followed her to a smallish house that wasn't much bigger than Merlin's. Walking inside, they saw that the table had been set for two.

"I wasn't expecting company," Mizuko explained as she went into the kitchen to fetch some more plates."

"I hope grandpa Sora's okay," Hitoshi said, carelessly, to his brother.

*CRASH!*

"Uh oh," Hitoshi gulped. "I think I just said the wrong thing."

Hiroshi peered into the kitchen. He saw Mizuko sitting in a chair at a small table, her face in her hands, weeping softly.

"I never got to know my father," she told him, "Your grandfather killed him only hours after I was conceived."

"I'm sorry," Hiroshi apologized. "My brother has a tendency to put his foot in his mouth."

"It wasn't your fault," Mizuko admitted. "I'm not mad at you. You and your brother are still welcome to stay for dinner."

"Thank you," Hiroshi said, gratefully.


End file.
